The present invention relates generally to combined welder and compressor units, and more particularly to a unit of this type having a manifold that is provided in order to facilitate the construction of the welder unit by readily enabling the connection of various fluid lines.
Portable welding and compressor units transportable to a work site are known. Typical known units include a lightweight frame consisting of metal tubing on which is mounted an internal combustion engine that is directly connected to a generator which generates an amperage to operate the unit or welder. The generator further provides auxiliary alternating current for operating auxiliary equipment, such as an air compressor. The air compressor provides compressed air for pneumatic equipment as well as certain welding applications, such as operating a plasma cutting torch. Other known portable welder and compressor units include an engine, alternator, compressor, and air tank assembly mounted within a housing along an extended length of the housing.
In such welder and air compressor units, there are, of necessity, a considerable number of components that are utilized, some of which are used to channel the main compressed air from the air compressor to desired locations and others that are used to monitor the condition of the compressed air in order to carry out certain operations or to monitor and/or control certain functions of the welder compressor unit itself. In the normal channels of commerce, many of such components are supplied separately and it is up to the constructor of the combination unit to assemble and provide fluid communication for each of such components in an manner that minimizes the time and material of such construction.
As such, one of the difficulties in constructing or assembling a compact, readily transportable welder compressor unit, is in interconnecting a large myriad of fluid conduits of differing sizes and purposes so as to make the overall welder compressor combination unit easier to assembly and to locate many of the various fluid conduits in a single, convenient location rather than have individual connections spread throughout the combination unit. Not only is the assembly time reduced but the overall unit is easier to service since many of the connections needed for servicing the combination unit are conveniently at one location.
Therefore, one of the main goals in the construction of a welder air compressor combination unit is in facilitating the assembly and mounting of the various components and to make the fluid connections between such components as simple as possible and preferably centrally and conveniently located to facilitate that construction so as to simplify the servicing of such units and to make the combination welder air compressor compact so as to be readily transportable from one location to another location.